Barnet’s Labour councillors are supporting this year’s Earth Day theme calling for climate action, and at next week’s virtual Urgency Committee meeting will be asking Barnet Council to declare a Climate Emergency and agree to further actions to help tackle climate change.
This will be the second time the Labour Group have called for the Council to declare a Climate Emergency. A motion they raised last year at the July Full Council meeting was voted down by the ruling Conservative councillors.
It called for action to make the borough carbon-neutral by 2030, to establish a cross-party climate action group with local stakeholders, to appoint an officer with specific responsibility for energy and sustainability, and to establish a Citizens Assembly to learn and make recommendations to the Council on any necessary climate emergency actions – with the Council undertaking to lead on implementing these recommendations.
Leader of the Barnet Labour Group, Cllr Barry Rawlings said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us all just how much can be achieved when it is absolutely necessary.
“Action on climate change is absolutely necessary, and we believe it should be given even greater focus after the current pandemic lock-down restrictions have been lifted.
“This should happen as an integral part of the efforts that will be needed to recover from the pandemic, and it is in that context that I will be raising it at the Urgency Committee on Monday night next week.”
Labour spokesperson for Environment, Cllr Alan Schneiderman said: “It was disappointing last year that the Conservatives refused to support our Climate Emergency motion.
“Local councils have a powerful leadership role in responding to a crisis that needs immediate action. Climate change is an emergency that requires immediate, focused and sustained action.
“The Council have put some climate action measures in place, but it needs to go further and be a much more centralised part of the Council’s planning for local services, the future of our local economy and our area.”
Notes:
- Details of Earth Day: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day
- Labour’s last Climate Emergency motion (Agenda Item 14.1): https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=162&MId=9952&Ver=4
- Details of the Urgency Committee for 27 April: https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=716&MId=10375
For more information contact:
Cllr Barry Rawlings: 07833 530 593
Cllr Alan Schneiderman: 07956 487 144